Cowboy church has grown so much that service has now been moved to the riding arena. Bring your lawn chairs and relax for a great service. During this service Michael Wayne Smith was singing.

Cowboy Church started off once a month on the third Sunday. There was a great response to this different type of church service. Cowboy church has grown to about 50 people each service. With such a great response from the community it has been decided that service will now take place every Sunday night at 6 p.m. at the Magical Meadows, 3386 E. 525 N., Warsaw.

The services are come as you are. Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether or not you own cowboy boots or a cowboy hat. You may see some people with different abilities there from the people that ride at The Magical Meadows.

Rooted in western American culture, cowboy churches often have been held in stockyards, barns, ranches and fields. During the last two decades, the movement of the cowboy church has spread to every corner of the country. It currently is the fastest growing church in the U.S. with more than 1,000 known assemblages according to Greg McDougal, founder of the Tennessee based Work of a Carpenter Ministries. McDougal has taken his music ministry to more than 600 cowboy churches in the past seven years.

“Around 25-30 years ago, some pastors in Texas saw that the men working the rodeo circuit were going unchurched,” said McDougal. “They started holding church at rodeos on Sunday mornings to reach those men who ordinarily wouldn’t step foot in a church.”

Back in Warsaw, Adams’ cowboy church held its first service in October 2013 with a handful of worshipers.

Adams noted music is an important part of the cowboy church service. The local cowboy church blends hymns of the past with contemporary praise music. Adams currently is seeking musicians to be part of the worship team. Anyone interested can contact him at 574-265-3092.

A native Hoosier, Adams grew up in Monticello. About 12 years ago, he and his family moved back to Indiana from Memphis, Tenn., to be closer to his parents, who still live in Fort Wayne. He has served 30 years as a pastor in Assembly of God churches, but emphasizes the cowboy church is not rooted in any specific doctrine or particular denomination.

“The services are Biblically based and are for people searching for more than the typical Sunday morning experience,” said Adams. “The cowboy church provides a wonderful evening of fellowship and getting back to feeling the openness of God’s presence.”

Pastor Carl Adams is the preacher at Spirit of Faith fellowship that meets at Bethany Chirstian Schools in Goshen.